Developing the Total Brain

Transcendental Meditation improves brain integration and coherence

"Our brain is a river and not a rock. Every time you experience something in your life, it creates a pattern of activation over the brain that gives us experience. At the same time, it's leaving its mark in the connections between neurons." Dr Fred Travis

Effects of Stress

Weak Executive Functioning

Rigid thinking

Impulsive, reactive behavior

Shortsighted decision-making

Poor working memory

Distracted attention

Drug and alcohol abuse

Unethical thinking and behavior

Stressed Physiology

Fatigue

High blood pressure

Eating and sleeping disorders

Weak immune system

Imbalanced Emotions

Low self-esteem and self-confidence

Worries, anxieties, and fears

Shallow, divisive emotions

Unstable relationships

Depression

Effects of TM

Strong Executive Functioning

Purposeful, flexible thinking

Nonimpulsive, proactive behavior

Farsighted decision-making

Excellent working memory

Settled, focused attention

No substance abuse or addictions

Ethical thinking and behavior

Healthy Physiology

Energy and vitality

Fit cardiovascular system

Balanced physiology

Strong immune functioning

Balanced Emotions

Self-confidence and secure self-esteem

Feelings of safety and peace

Compassion and empathy for others

Healthy interpersonal relations

Happiness and optimism

How Stress Damages the Brain

Stress, pressure, fatigue, poor diet, alcohol, and drugs damage neural connections between the brain's prefrontal cortex - or "CEO" - and the rest of the brain. When you are overtired or under intense mental or physical stress, the brain bypasses its "higher," more evolved, rational frontal executive circuits—it starts using more primitive stimulus/response pathways. Consequently, you respond to daily demands without thinking; you make impulsive, shortsighted decisions. When the CEO goes "offline," strong emotions, such as fear and anger, take over, adversely coloring your view of the world.

How Transcendental Meditation Optimises the Brain

The stress-reducing, nonreligious Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique provides the experience of "restful alertness," which reduces stress, strengthens communication between the brain's prefrontal cortex and different areas of the brain, and develops total brain functioning. As a result, the TM practitioner displays stronger executive functions, with more purposeful thinking and farsighted decision-making. When the CEO is fully "online," the emotional response to the world is more balanced and appropriate.

Brain Researcher Dr. Fred Travis

Dr. Fred Travis

"If we add the experience of transcending to our daily routine, then the brain connections that support the experience of pure consciousness are strengthened. This is the reality of growth to enlightenment. It happens every day with every session of the Transcendental technique."